9. Olivia
CHAPTER 9
Olivia
Y ou are not a child. You are a strong, independent woman, capable of sleeping in a house alone. You do not need a man to protect you .
My internal dialogue does nothing to help ease the fear riding up the back of my spine as I brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I wish I could say I feel better knowing there are motion lights around the house and that I’ve double-checked that all the windows and doors are locked. But I don’t feel better.
That fear I felt when I woke up to that window breaking sits heavy in the pit of my stomach, and it seems to come back every night right about the time I’m getting ready for bed. Last night, I couldn’t handle it, which is why I took my pillow and book with me and went next door. Tonight, I promised myself I wouldn’t do the same thing, so I stayed up a little later, hoping that by the time I got ready for bed, I’d be too tired to think about it.
No such luck.
After I finish brushing my teeth, I dry my face and make sure the bathroom door that attaches to the office is locked, and then I shut off the light and go to my bed. Sitting on the edge of it, I stare at the door I already locked and try to talk myself out of going next door as I put lotion on my hands.
Last night, Bax didn’t seem bothered in the least when I showed up at his house. Nor when I wandered into his kitchen this morning, where he was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee while working on his computer. Still, I can’t keep invading his space. It’s not fair to him, even if I do just really like being around him and not only because he makes me feel safe.
I jump out of my thoughts when the doorbell rings, and my heart starts to race. It’s after nine, so there is no way it could be a delivery person, and I’m not expecting anyone. When knocking starts, I’m half tempted to go hide in the closet, but when I hear my name called, the fear in my stomach warms to something else.
Going to my bedroom door, I unlock it and hurry down the dark hallway to the living room. When I reach the front door, I swing it open and take Bax in, at a loss for what to say or do because throwing myself against him seems absurd.
“Hey.” He tucks his hands into the front pockets of his shorts, stretching the thick thermal shirt he’s wearing across his broad shoulders. “I just realized that when I told you this morning that you could call me if you needed anything, I never gave you my cell number.”
“Oh, yeah.” I lean down to pet Gemma, who bounces at my feet to get my attention, then stand and back out of the doorway. “Do you want to come in? I’ll grab my phone.”
“Yeah.” He steps inside and closes the door while I head for the hall and quickly go to my room. When I get back to the living room a few seconds later, he’s right where I left him.
“You can just type it in, and I’ll call you.” I unlock my cell and pass it to him. As he types, I watch his thick fingers move across the device and study his facial expression. He has the same serious look on his face that he did last night while watching the football game. The same look he had this morning when he told me to sit, and he made me some of the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever eaten.
It makes me wonder what he’d be like during sex. Would he be so controlled and so focused? I bet he would be, and I bet the women he’s been with have benefited from that amount of fixation.
“Oli?”
Clearing my throat, I look up and meet his gaze, feeling my cheeks warm. I know he has no idea what I was just thinking, but the air between us seems to shift into something thick and heavy.
“Sorry.” I take my cell he’s holding out to me.
“Were you going to bed?” he asks.
“I was working up to it. I’m still a little scared.” My nose scrunches. “I feel like such a wimp, admitting that out loud.”
“You wanna sleep with me?” I swear I see his Adam’s apple bob. “I mean… stay with me in my guest room.”
Great. Now, my insides are a mess because visions of me sleeping with him are filling my head.
“I don’t know. I should probably try to get used to being here.” I feel my face scrunch of its own accord.
“You mentioned this morning that your friend is coming to visit in a few days, right?” he prompts, and I nod. I told him over his amazing pancakes that Rebecca is coming for the weekend. “Maybe having her here with you for a few nights will get you comfortable sleeping here. Until then, you can stay with me.”
I narrow my eyes. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Go get your pillow,” he replies without actually answering the question. “I was gonna watch some TV, then go to bed. In the morning, I have to leave early, so I’ll probably be gone before you get up. You’ll just need to lock up before you come back here to get ready for work.”
“So I don’t get pancakes tomorrow?” I fake pout, and his eyes drop to my mouth.
“If you wanna get up with me in the morning, I’ll make you pancakes before I leave.” He says it so seriously that I know he’d do it if I wanted him to.
“I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I’d do it for you.” His eyes move over me. “Go grab your pillow and whatever else you need for tonight.”
“Okay.” I don’t put up a fight; I’d rather stay with him than sleep here. I spin on my heels and head down the hall, hearing Gemma behind me as I enter my bedroom. I put a pair of sweats on over my sleep shorts and a hoodie over my tank. Then I grab my book and my pillow. Shutting off the light, I meet Bax in the living room and follow him out the door that he holds open for me. He locks it with my keys I now see he grabbed off the hook by the door.
When we get outside, I notice—now that the sun has set—that the entire neighborhood is lit up with orange and purple lights in preparation for tomorrow evening. Even Bax’s house has lights lining the sidewalk and a giant blow-up orange jack-o’-lantern in the middle of his lawn.
I hum. “I guess I need to stop at the store tomorrow and pick up a pumpkin and some candy.”
“I’ve got plenty unless you want to leave a bowl on your porch before you come over. Just be warned, it will be gone after the first group of kids walks up and finds it unattended.” He opens his door, letting me enter before him, and I’m instantly enveloped with warmth and the smell of cinnamon.
What guy’s house smells like cinnamon?
Apparently, guys who can cook, decorate, and who don’t hesitate to run half-naked through the night to save a woman.
“You wanna hang with me and watch TV for a bit, or do you want to just go to bed?” he asks, motioning to the couch.
“I’ll hang out, but I might just read if you don’t mind.”
He smiles. “That’s cool. Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m okay.” I settle on the couch with my book and my pillow, and because the couch in his living room facing the TV is smaller than the one outside, he sits closer than he did last night, making my insides squirm.
Turning on the TV, he puts it on some show about people being dropped in the middle of nowhere with only a few supplies and no food. And because it’s interesting, I end up setting my book aside halfway through the first episode and curling up with my pillow on the armrest of the sofa. When the first episode ends and the second one starts, I feel him looking at me.
I turn my head his way. “What?”
“You like this?”
“It’s cool. I mean, I can’t imagine doing something like that, even for a million dollars, but I can see why someone outdoorsy would.”
“Outdoorsy?” He laughs, and I stretch out my leg to kick him, but he wraps his hand around my ankle, stopping me. A zap of electricity travels up from where he’s touching and settles between my thighs, making my breath catch in the back of my throat.
“So vicious.” He slowly releases his hold as our eyes stay locked, and I swear they seem darker than before. When he pulls his gaze off mine, he drags the blanket from the back of the couch and tosses it over me, and my heart clenches in response to the sweetness of the gesture.
I’ve never met a man like him, nor just hung out with a man like he and I are right now and like we did last night—him watching the football game while I read. Just two people doing different things they each enjoy in the same space. I like it a lot… maybe more than I should. Then again, I like him more than I should.
“Babe.” A warm hand wraps around my hip, and I force my eyes open, finding Bax leaning over me. I knew my eyes felt heavy earlier, but I didn’t think I’d actually fall asleep like I must have. “Let’s get you to bed,” he says quietly, and I nod as I sit up, grabbing my pillow.
With his hand against my lower back, he shuffles me down the hall to his guest room, but he doesn’t just leave me at the door. Instead, he walks around me to the bed and pulls back the covers for me. Once I’m lying down, he tosses them over me. “Night, Oli.”
“Night, Bax,” I whisper, watching him through half-laden eyes as he seems to hesitate at the side of my bed before he walks to the door. Shutting off the light, he casts the room into darkness, and within seconds, I pass out.
* * *
My eyes flutter open to the sound of purring and the feel of soft fur brushing against my skin as Ira nuzzles her face into mine. Taking my hands out from under the blanket, I rub the top of her head while I reach for my phone to check the time since I totally spaced setting my alarm last night. I’m relieved when I see it’s just a little after seven, so I still have a couple of hours before I have to be at work. Plenty of time to get home, shower, have breakfast and get ready.
When I sit up to hop out of bed, Ira jumps down and wanders out through the cracked door. Since I’ll be back tonight, I leave my pillow but make the bed before I step out into the hall.
The house is dark and quiet, with the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air, probably from when Bax got up this morning. As I’m walking past the doorway to the kitchen, I see a piece of paper folded in half so that it’s standing up, with my name scrolled across the front in messy handwriting.
Walking into the kitchen, I pick it up and flip the paper open.
Feel free to make some fresh coffee, or there is OJ in the fridge.
Bax
Looking at the microwave mounted above the stove, I slowly walk across the room toward it and press the button to open the door. Inside is a stack of four fluffy pancakes with two slices of turkey bacon on one of his gray stoneware plates.
As I shut the door and set the timer to heat everything, my heart feels the same as it did last night when he covered me with the blanket. I don’t know what to think about him being so sweet, and I wish I understood his reasoning. Is it because I’m Liam’s little sister, or does he just like me? If I’m honest, I want it to be because he likes me.
When the microwave dings, I take a seat at the island and dig in. The pancakes are just as good reheated as they were fresh off the pan, but they don’t taste the same without him sitting next to me. Taking out my cell, I pull up the number he programmed into my contacts last night and send him a text.
Me: Thank you for breakfast. Tomorrow, I’m cooking for you, and you can’t say no.
About ten seconds after I press Send, my phone buzzes, letting me know I have a message.
Bax: What are you making me?
My stomach dips with giddiness at the thought of spending another evening with him.
Me: Whatever you want.
Three bubbles pop up and then disappear, then pop up again a minute later.
Bax: Surprise me.
Me: I can do that.
I press send, then finish eating and clean up my dishes before I go to the living room, where I slip on my shoes and grab my keys.
After saying goodbye to Ira, I lock up, skip down the steps to the sidewalk, and head next door across the grass. When I glance up, an older woman with graying hair is standing outside her house, putting what looks like fake spiderwebs around two trees that are close together, and she waves at me.
Knowing I just woke up and haven’t brushed my hair or even my teeth, I wave back but pull my eyes off hers so she knows I’m on a mission. And that mission doesn't involve an early-morning chat with a neighbor, even if that might make me seem a little rude.
“Olivia?” My steps falter, and I look back across the street, finding her hurrying in my direction.
“Um…” I take her in, wondering if I know her. She doesn’t look familiar, but she could know my mom. I swear my mom knows everyone in town, and she’s never had a problem pulling out her phone to share photos of Liam and me, even though we are no longer children. “Sorry, do I know you?”
“I’m Holly’s grandma.”
“Oh!” The smile I was forcing turns genuine. “Holly mentioned her grandmother lives over here. It’s nice to meet you. I adore your granddaughter.”
“She’s the sweetest.” She smiles brightly, then looks at Bax’s house. “I’ve seen you coming and going a couple of times over the past few days but haven’t had a chance to say hi.” Oh, good Lord. Without a doubt, she will share with Holly that she caught me leaving Bax’s house this morning, and Holly will make a lot of assumptions. “How are you settling in?”
“Okay.” I keep my smile in place. “Sorry about all the trouble the past few days.” There is no reason to avoid the topic. She lives across the street and has probably seen the police here over that time, or she’s at least heard they were here from someone else who lives on the street.
“Bax sent out a text to everyone letting us know what happened. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully, nothing else will happen.”
“Hopefully,” I agree, and she smiles kindly.
“Well…” She glances over her shoulder. “I’m going to finish putting a few final touches on the front yard for tonight, but if you ever need anything, I’m just across the street.”
“Thank you, and it was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” She smiles again before wandering back across the street, then waves as I head up the walkway to Kourtney’s. While I’m putting my key in the lock, my phone begins to ring, and when I take it out, I frown, seeing a local number I don’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Olivia, it’s Lincoln.”
“Hey.” I smile as I let myself inside. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I might have overstepped, but I asked my mom to get your number for me from your mom.”
“That’s okay.” I laugh. “Sorry I didn’t send you a message yesterday.” I make my way down the hall to my room. The truth is, I didn’t even think about him yesterday. The only man on my mind has been Bax, and he’s taking up all of my headspace.
“That’s okay. I know you’ve had a lot going on. I just wanted to see if you’d be down for lunch or even a coffee this afternoon? Or if not, maybe this week sometime?”
“Sure.” I go over my schedule in my head. “I think I have about a forty-minute gap between clients around eleven thirty this morning. It’s not really enough time to sit down anywhere for lunch, but we can grab a coffee and a pastry from that café on Main Street.”
“That works for me. You have my number, so just let me know if the time changes, and if not, I’ll just see you there.”
“Okay, see you then.” We hang up after saying goodbye, and I drop my phone on the counter in my bathroom, then go about getting ready for work with a smile that has nothing to do with having coffee with Lincoln.